Wisdom & Culture Lab / Wise Judgment Consortium

University of Waterloo

Fall 2026 | Part-time, approximately 8-12 hours/week The Wisdom & Culture Lab is seeking a University of Waterloo student to support research communication, digital media, and public engagement during Fall 2026.

The position will focus particularly on the Wise Judgment Consortium (WJC; https://wiseminds.uwaterloo.ca/), an international research collaboration studying how people make difficult decisions and what constitutes wise judgment across cultural and social contexts. The student will also help translate research from the lab and related public-facing projects, including the long-running On Wisdom podcast (https://onwisdompodcast.fireside.fm/), into accessible digital content.

This is a good fit for a student interested in the intersection of psychology, science communication, social media, digital storytelling, and public engagement.

What you will do

Research and content development

· Identify interesting findings, ideas, examples, and stories from WJC research, publications, presentations, and related lab projects.

· Review On Wisdom podcast episodes and other existing materials for segments that could be adapted into short-form public-facing content.

· Prepare concise content briefs for social-media production, including:

o the central idea or finding;

o why it may matter to a general audience;

o relevant evidence and sources;

o examples or applications;

o important qualifications or caveats.

· Conduct light research on current public conversations and emerging topics related to wisdom, judgment, decision-making, psychology, culture, and uncertainty.

· Help distinguish genuinely interesting research-based ideas from claims that are attention-grabbing but scientifically misleading.

Wise Judgment Consortium communication

· Help maintain and develop the WJC's social-media presence.

· Develop newsletter content highlighting WJC research, researchers, participating sites, findings, events, calls, and other activities.

· Draft accessible summaries,



captions, announcements, and other public-facing materials.

· Assist with website, newsletter, and other knowledge-mobilization materials as needed.

· Help develop recurring formats that make the Consortium's research accessible to non-specialist audiences.

Social-media experimentation

· Work directly with Prof. Grossmann and an external short-form media producer/editor to test different ways of communicating research through YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn, and related platforms.

· Identify promising topics and clips and help prepare source materials for scripts.

· Maintain a content calendar and organized archive of source materials and media assets.

· Track performance across content types, topics, hooks, and platforms.

· Produce brief summaries of what appears to be working, what is not, and what should be tested next.

Responsible use of AI The role may involve generative-AI tools for brainstorming, content discovery, transcription, summarization, and initial drafting. The student will be expected to verify each claim against original sources and justify the use of Generative AI at each step of the process.

What we are looking for

Essential:

· Strong written communication skills.

· Ability to explain complex ideas clearly and concisely.

· Good judgment about what makes an idea compelling without sacrificing accuracy.

· Strong organizational skills and reliability.

· Familiarity with major social-media platforms and contemporary short-form content.

· Ability to read research materials and identify the central finding or argument.

· Interest in psychology, behavioural science,



decision-making, communication, or related fields.

Particularly valuable:

· Experience producing content for social media, student organizations, journalism, communications, podcasts, newsletters, or other public-facing projects.

· Familiarity with tools such as Canva, CapCut, Adobe Premiere, Descript, or similar platforms.

· Experience using analytics to assess digital content.

· Experience with generative-AI tools for research or content workflows.

· Coursework or experience in psychology, communication, marketing, digital media, journalism, data science, or related areas.

Deep video-editing expertise is not required. We are particularly interested in someone who can recognize, research, and clearly communicate a strong idea.

What you will learn The student will gain experience in:

· research knowledge mobilization;

· translating scientific findings for general audiences;

· digital-content strategy;

· social-media experimentation and analytics;

· responsible use of generative AI;

· working with an international research consortium;

· communicating research across academic and public audiences.

Position details

Term: Fall 2026

Hours: Approximately 8–12 hours/week

Location: University of Waterloo / hybrid

Supervisor: Prof. Igor Grossmann, Department of Psychology

Compensation: Paid; rate based on University of Waterloo guidelines and experience.

Application

Please submit:

1. A brief CV or résumé.
2. A short statement (approximately 150-250 words) explaining why this role interests you and what you could contribute.
3. One or two examples of public-facing communication you have created, if available. These can include social-media posts, videos, articles, newsletters, student-group communications, podcasts, design work, or similar materials.

- Prior professional social-media experience is not required. Evidence of clear thinking, strong communication, curiosity, and good judgment will be weighted heavily.

📌 Research & Knowledge Mobilization Assistant for Digital Media and Public Engagement (Waterloo)
🏢 University of Waterloo
📍 Waterloo